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"Never under any condition should this nation look at an immigrant as primarily a labor unit. He should always be looked at primarily as a future citizen."-Theodore Roosevelt, 1917

"It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people."-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Isaona i tumungo’ ya ha sedi, ki ayo i mismo umisagui hao. Greater is the fault of he who allows the injustice upon himself. "-Chamorro proverb

"There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves." -Jose Rizal

"I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights." -Bishop Desmond Tutu

Disclaimer: This is not a legal blog. No opinion or statement should be perceived as legal advice. All posts are the opinion of the author or contributors who are expressing their First Amendment Rights.

If you are a CNMI legal long-term foreign worker or a supporter you have probably wondered why the pro-immigration reformists in the U.S. Congress have ignored the plight of the CNMI foreign workers, or worse, have proposed an inferior status for only one quarter of the estimated 16,000 legal foreign workers. You may have asked why these "immigration champions" have sponsored or co-sponsored legislation that would grant permanent residency and a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented aliens, yet co-sponsored an oppressive and restrictive status for only one quarter of the CNMI's 16,000 legal foreign workers through H.R. 1466. You may question why these supporters of equal justice and civil rights are gathering to take a stand against Alabama's anti-immigrant law, but remain silent on the plight of the CNMI's legal, long-term foreign workers. Why not ask them? Why not tell them of your family's personal plight, years in the CNMI and status. Why not appeal for justice?

Send inquiries, letters and comments to the co-sponsors of H.R. 1466 – those who stand up to advocate for the 11 million undocumented aliens in the U.S., but ignore the plight of the 16,000 legal aliens in the CNMI. Click on a name below to go to an email link or call their offices. The addresses phone and fax numbers for the Asian Pacific American Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and Progressive Caucuses are listed below.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus:

We would expect that the members of this Caucus would rally behind the tens of thousands of Asians who have built the CNMI economy by working and living in the CNMI for years and even decades. We would expect that they would stand strong to ensure that the millions of dollars in wages that have been stolen from the foreign workers by unscrupulous employers would be paid so these cheated Asian foreign workers would be made whole.

Most members and some associate members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus have co-sponsored H.R. 1466, a bill that purposely excludes 3/4 of the legal, lon-term foreign workers from any protection or status after November 27, 2011. A bill that mirrors the discriminatory and oppressive Black Codes of the post-Civil War era.

Purpose
To ensure that legislation passed by the United States Congress, to the greatest extent possible, provides for the full participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and reflects the concerns and needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities;

To educate other Members of Congress about the history, contributions and concerns of Asian American and Pacific Islanders;

To work with other Members and Caucuses to protect and advance the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans;

To establish policies on legislation and issues relating to persons of Asian and/or Pacific Islands ancestry who are citizens or nationals of, residents of, or immigrants to, the United States, its territories and possessions; and

To provide a structure to coordinate the efforts, and enhance the ability, of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress to accomplish those goals.

CONTACTS FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN CAUCUS: Rep.Judy Chu (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Congressional Hispanic Caucus:The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is leading the battle for comprehensive immigration reform. I am somewhat confused by their flip-flopping stance. In 2009 I attended a meeting where leaders of the Hispanic Caucus assured participants that they would not submit immigration reform in a piece meal fashion, but would push for one comprehensive bill for all concerned. Yet, we see most members of this Caucus co-sponsoring H.R. 1466, an inferior and discriminatory bill that covers only 1/4 of the estimated 16,000 legal, long-term foreign workers –a bill that they would never even consider for the 11 million undocumented aliens in the U.S. mainland (Ironically, they have supported a pathway to citizenship for them in previous legislation that they have introduced or co-sponsored.)

The CHC aims to address national and international issues and the impact these policies have on the Hispanic community. The function of the Caucus is to serve as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Congressional Progressive Caucus
Many members of this Caucus co-sponsored H.R. 1466. The website claims:

Our Caucus members promote a strong, progressive agenda, what we call “The Progressive Promise--Fairness for All”. The Progressive Promise is rooted in four core principles that embody national priorities and are consistent with the values, needs and aspirations of all the American people, not just the powerful and the privileged. They reflect a fundamental belief in government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
The countries who are supplying foreign workers to the CNMI may be interested to know how many of their citizens are victims of wage theft and have not received the wages that are due to them; how many are in legal status but will be deemed illegal after November 27th; and how many foreign workers are being terminated right now, not because they are not good workers, but because they are being replaced with available U.S. citizens.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Department of Justice Main Switchboard - 202-514-2000
Office of the Attorney General Public Comment Line - 202-353-1555

The Civil Rights Division is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all individuals, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes designed to protect the civil rights of all individuals and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, and national origin.

It's about time that DFA of countries with current GWs in CNMI, starts working not to send additional workers to CNMI to avoid additional problems.Regardless if there's 22k CW visa allotted for CNMI, with only 3 yrs of non-guaranteed work.

Recently the Philippines has implemented a number of additional hoops that off-island potential workers must go through before they can legally work abroad. Aside from U.S. visa requirements, they will need wage and repatriation bonds, and will have to go through a number of screens. Fixers from POEA and the Philippine DFA will need to be paid.

Many current workers in the CNMI never experienced the new requirements due to a major flaw in the CNMI system. All a worker had to do was get a tourist or student permit, arrive in the CNMI, and pay a fixer at CNMI DOL and they could change their status. This method was full of abuse and fraud. That loophole is now closed.